News & Insights
PSC’s 2020 highlights: An exceptional year in review
An exceptional year has ended and a new one is upon us. In this blog post, PSC President & CEO Alex Boyd looks back on the Company's 2020 highlights.
PSC welcomes Rose Urban to its UK/Europe HVDC team
PSC welcomes Rose Urban as Principal Electrical Engineer in the UK/Europe region. Rose brings to PSC her comprehensive experience in power systems, HVDC/HVAC cables and HVDC interconnectors. Based in the UK, she'll be a valued member of PSC’s HVDC team in the region.
PSC Announces Support Charities for 2020
Each year around the holidays, PSC directs charitable contributions to local organizations helping people in need. Employees nominated local organizations in the regions where PSC operates.
PSC experts discuss the UK’s Ten Point Plan for ‘a green industrial revolution’ – Part 3 of 3
In this blog series, Gary Landels asks questions of PSC’s industry experts in the offshore wind, transmission and distribution sectors and discusses what impact and potential solutions could help the UK enact its Ten Point Plan toward zero emissions.
PSC sponsors EUCI’s Transmission Upgrades and Expansion 2020 Conference
PSC’s John Camilleri and Tracy Rolstad virtually presented during EUCI’s Transmission Upgrades and Expansion 2020 Conference, December 9-10.
The future of ripple control and peak demand management in New Zealand
In collaboration with key stakeholders, PSC contributed to a new EECA report to help inform future plans for demand management in New Zealand.
Preparing for green hydrogen
Guest blogger Erik Westergaard offers his thoughts about the barriers to widely implementing green hydrogen and the focus required to prepare a roadmap taking all stakeholders into account.
A look back on a virtual ENIC
PSC's experts engage with UK electricity and gas industry leaders at Energy Networks Innovation Conference (ENIC).
PSC experts discuss the UK’s Ten Point Plan for ‘a green industrial revolution’ – Part 2 of 3
In this blog series, Gary Landels asks questions of PSC’s industry experts in the offshore wind, transmission and distribution sectors and discusses what impact and potential solutions could help the UK enact its Ten Point Plan toward zero emissions.
PSC dovetails domain expertise and collaboration in support of WPD’s innovation projects
WPD is working with PSC and other partners to develop solutions for its fast-changing and dynamic electricity network. The latest of these is the “NEAT” (Network Events and Alarm Transparency) project.
Brad Flanagan, Essential Energy’s Head of Cybersecurity, on securing OT environments and the AESCSF
PSC interviews the Head of Cybersecurity at Essential Energy about securing power utilities’ SCADA environments, the impact of new security legislation for critical infrastructure and the Australian Energy Sector Cybersecurity Framework (AESCSF).
PSC experts discuss the UK’s Ten Point Plan for ‘a green industrial revolution’ – Part 1 of 3
In this blog series, Gary Landels asks questions of PSC’s industry experts in the offshore wind, transmission and distribution sectors and discusses what impact and potential solutions could help the UK enact its Ten Point Plan toward zero emissions.
Adding value-effort modeling to Australia’s cybersecurity conversation
PSC’s Rob Anderson gives his opinion on cybersecurity strategies and why what he terms ‘value-effort modeling’ is preferred over an exclusively compliance-based approach.
Hydrogen is making a comeback!
Because of hydrogen's versatility, it’s making a comeback in the transportation and power generation sectors, just in time to help tackle environmental concerns and enhance energy security.
Considerations for joining the Western Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) – Part 1: What is the EIM?
CAISO’s Western EIM is the first real-time energy market of its kind in the western United States. Its market system automatically finds low-cost energy to serve real-time consumer demand across a broad swath of the West. In this piece we introduce the EIM and take a look at the benefits and challenges associated with joining the EIM.
PSC has created a new business unit to better meet our clients’ needs
PSC Market Systems team has split into two business units, Market Systems and Energy Applications. This allows us to better serve our clients, provide greater value for money and develop our people.
Electricity: the “coffee” of international energy markets
Increased utilization of transmission capacity via HVDC enables cross-border trading and provides growth in renewables, supporting a cleaner, more sustainable global energy system.
PSC welcomes APAC Power Networks GM
PSC welcomes Roderick Kisten as Power Networks General Manager in APAC, bringing extensive experience in power systems engineering, project management and electric utility consulting to PSC.
PSC welcomes new HVDC GM
PSC announces its new HVDC General Manager for the UK/Europe region. The new GM joins PSC with over 25 years of industry experience and vast knowledge of all aspects of HVDC projects.
IIoT and the keys to actualizing the decentralized energy revolution – Part 3 of 3
This series investigates the potential applications of distributed systems, as well as the role of interoperability in actualizing the decentralized energy revolution.
PSC’s Richard Adams receives CIGRE’s Outstanding Service Award
PSC’s Richard Adams has received CIGRE Study Committee B5’s Outstanding Service Award in recognition of his contribution, commitment and dedication in the field of Protection and Automation.
PSC supports WPD’s innovation efforts
In an effort to quickly gain knowledge and experience through innovation projects, WPD is working with PSC to develop solutions for its fast-changing and dynamic electricity network.
A look back on CIGRE’s 2020 virtual Paris Session
As large gatherings are off the agenda due to COVID-19, here’s one engineer’s take on CIGRE’s biennial Paris Session from his home office in the UK.
Why now is a better time than ever to use consultants
Consultants are at their best when helping clients solve complex problems and right now is a time they can add value more than ever before.
Pedagogical considerations of grid resiliency
Whether it’s scrambling to get the lights back on or teaching our kids geometry, adopting new technology in a short timeframe and using it to achieve critical tasks is a challenge in the best of times.
Waste-to-energy plants; helping power a more sustainable world
PSC is proud to offer Wheelabrator Technologies (WTI) our Owner’s Engineer specialist support services as they develop and commission new waste-to-energy facilities in the UK.
BZE publishes ‘Million Jobs Plan’ for Australia
PSC is proud to have contributed to Beyond Zero Emissions' (BZE) Million Jobs Plan which lays out a comprehensive range of initiatives to rebuild Australia’s economy post-COVID by ramping up the transition to a zero-carbon economy.
Navigating the uncharted waters of the UK’s latest utility business model evolution
In a rapidly evolving business environment like today’s electricity sector, anticipating changes and maintaining regulatory alignment to current policy can have a significant impact on a business.
White Paper: Passive filter to improve power quality at Tekapo B hydro power station
This paper highlights the real-world issues of power quality and considerations for station upgrades. It explores the use of EMT-type simulation for design and the installation of a practical solution to resolve power quality issues.
Protecting Wind Farms
PSC experts can help assess asset vulnerabilities and threats and implement solutions that improve cybersecurity while complying with all regulatory standards.
IIoT and the keys to actualizing the decentralized energy revolution – Part 2 of 3
This series investigates the potential applications of distributed systems, as well as the role of interoperability in actualizing the decentralized energy revolution.
Australia’s unique energy regulatory context – Part 2
Peter Brown delves into the elements to consider when developing a Generator Compliance Monitoring Program in Australia.
White Paper: Considerations for IDS in an OT Environment
Intrusion Detection Systems are gaining increased relevance to the utility industry.
PSC’s operations in Australia and New Zealand earn ISO 9001:2015 re-certification
By auditing our processes, we assure our clients are receiving the highest level of service.
Players change but the game remains the same
The pace and timing of electric utility workforce change vary between organizations, geography and regulatory environments.
Prioritizing cybersecurity governance
Governance lays the foundation for effective cybersecurity management and a unified approach to mitigating a utility’s cyber threat landscape.
Nation-State Cyber Warfare: Energy Industry in the Crosshairs
The digitization of utilities’ OT assets has increased concerns about the security of critical infrastructure.
PSC celebrates CIGRE’s Distinguished Member award
PSC is proud to announce that Principal Engineer Richard Adams has been awarded CIGRE’s “Distinguished Member” honor.
PSC adds value to expanding offshore wind sector
PSC is well-positioned to support the continued global growth in the development of offshore wind.
IIoT and the keys to actualizing the decentralized energy revolution – Part 1 of 3
This series investigates the potential applications of distributed systems, as well as the role of interoperability in actualizing the decentralized energy revolution.
Australia’s unique energy regulatory context – Part 1
Australia has a uniquely ‘long, skinny’ energy network with a high penetration of renewable generation.
Protection Engineering for the Modern Grid
As renewable generation increases, the role of protection engineering is adapting to balance integrating these new resources while maintaining reliability.
Adapting in a rapidly changing industry
Alex Boyd shares highlights from his presentation, "Balancing Industry Mission with Innovation and Change” in an online seminar hosted by Washington State University’s Energy Systems Innovation Center (ESIC).
Which storage solution is right for you?
As storage technology continues to evolve, energy suppliers and consumers alike are presented with increasing options for deployment.
Living our values during challenging times
At PSC we’ve always seen ourselves as serving communities - helping our clients power the world and keep the lights on around the globe.
COVID-19: Giving new meaning to “cascading event”
PSC and our industry at large are pitching in to make sure this pandemic doesn’t cascade from a public health crisis to an electric service emergency.
COVID-19 Message: PSC is here for our clients and communities
PSC is committed to continuing to deliver the kind of dependable service our clients have come to expect from us.
Technology is disappearing at DistribuTECH International, and that may be a good thing
While the technology we use to plan and operate the grid “disappears,” the impact of events like DistribuTECH International as a showcase for these technologies is apparent.
Tony Weller celebrates 20 years of excellent service with PSC
PSC congratulates Tony Weller who recently achieved a significant milestone in completing 20 years of excellent service.
PSC CEO to Deliver DPSP 2020 Keynote Speech
PSC is proud to support and participate in the 15th International Conference on Developments in Power System Protection.
PSC acquires power system experts from Ramboll UK broadening PSC’s reach and augmenting its capabilities
Acquisition strengthens PSC’s European presence and provides its clients with additional expert resources.
PSC acquires Gridconnect, strengthening ability to help clients develop and deploy renewables
The acquisition enables PSC to bring a more robust level of support and guidance to our clients in Europe and around the world.
Towards a common understanding of resilience
Promising headway is being made to align on a common definition and develop actionable measures to build resilience into systems and organizations.
2019: A global snapshot
PSC explores some of the most noteworthy events in the electricity industry in 2019.
Regional HVDC interconnection and its impact on network performance
PSC’s engineering specialists completed system studies and analysis on a proposed HVDC link between the US and Canada.
Integration of Remote Offshore Energy with High Voltage Direct Current
PSC’s Stephen Butler delivered a paper at the Electricity Engineers’ Association (EEA) conference in New Zealand.
HVDC: All grown up
PSC Principal Power Systems Engineer Perry Hofbauer, P.Eng contributes his thoughts about the resurgence of HVDC.
Naresh Kumar celebrates 10 years of excellent service with PSC
The PSC management team congratulates Naresh on reaching this important milestone.
PSC Scholarship winner Laura Harding is bringing a ‘big spark’ to the NZ electricity industry
We spoke with Laura about school, sailing, and the future of the NZ electricity industry.
Staff Spotlight – Dr Hooman Andami
We are very pleased to welcome Dr Hooman Andami to the PSC Europe team.
Transmission Planning with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) as non-network Solutions
The objective of electricity transmission network expansion planning is typically to determine the most efficient grid development options to balance generation with demand.
Stability Study for Renewable Integration, North America
PSC ran a comparative study between the client’s North American system model and jurisdictions in South Australia and Ireland experiencing similarly increased levels of renewable penetration in their systems.
2019 PSC Scholarship awarded to Laura Harding
The PSC Scholarship was established in 2004 as a co-operation between PSC and the Electric Power Engineering Centre (EPECentre).
Distribution Automation Strategy Review
Distribution automation scheme applications in operation around the world improve reliability, voltage performance and network operational visibility.
New Hire Spotlight – Alex Bash
We’re super excited to welcome Alex Bash to PSC! Alex joins us as an HR Generalist for North America.
Get to know Tracy Rolstad, PSC’s newest Technical Director
We are pleased to welcome Tracy Rolstad in his new role as a Technical Director with PSC!
The Future Has Arrived in New Zealand
The focus at the 2019 Electricity Engineers' Association Conference & Exhibition was on the role engineering will play in bringing this new age of electricity generation and supply to life.
Stephen Butler Celebrates 10 Years of Excellent Service with PSC
Stephen joined PSC in 2009 as a graduate engineer after completing his engineering degree at the University of Canterbury.
PSC Supports Virtual Statcom Innovation Project
As an increasing number of Distributed Generators (DGs) connect to distribution networks, technical constraints arise that can limit the total amount of generation a network can host.
PSC Supports Rwanda Girls Initiative
PSC sponsored a 5k fun run in support of the Rwanda Girls Initiative on their mission to educate and empower girls of Rwanda to reach their highest potential.
Harmonic Analysis in a Meshed Network
Transmission and distribution system operators are responsible for maintaining harmonic voltage distortion within statutory limits in their own networks.
Aerial Laser Survey in New Zealand
Transpower New Zealand has successfully completed an aerial laser survey (ALS) of 2000 km of transmission lines, with the help of PSC and Opten,
PSC Strengthens Regional Leadership
We are thrilled to announce that several new leadership positions at PSC were accepted by incumbent PSC staff in North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe.
DistribuTECH 2019
More than 12,000 attendees from utilities, energy companies, and technology vendors crammed the halls of Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana to participate in DistribuTECH 2019 in February.
John O’Hehir celebrates 10 years of excellent service with PSC
John O’Hehir, a Director in the Operational Technology business for PSC North America, recently celebrated 10 years of excellent service with PSC.
Team PSC at the 2018 Pioneer Race
Following on from success in the 2017 Pioneer 7-day mountain bike race in New Zealand, the biking duo decided to put in an entry for the 2018 Pioneer with the support of PSC.
Project Management – 5 tips for keeping your project on track
Electric utilities deliver large and complex projects that deal with critical infrastructure.
5 things you’ll love about the NEW pscconsulting.com
Get in touch with PSC experts with the click of a button (try it!)
Spotlight on Generator Testing
A Complete Service - combined with the Genassure Test Service, PSC provides services in Generator Testing and Modelling.
Power Systems, Powder, and Pork Pie – A Conversation with PSC 2018 Scholarship Winner Irene Anderson
In August 2018, Irene Anderson of the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, became the 14th winner of the PSC Scholarship.
Meet Margaret Snape, PSC’s new Business Manager to the CEO!
Margaret Snape has joined the Kirkland office, working with CEO Alex Boyd as Business Manager.
Kent Horan celebrates 20 years of Excellent Service
Kent is a SCADA/Controls Engineer with many years of experience in HVDC transmission systems.
Cigré Canada – Adapting the grid to the customer of the future
PSC was proud to be a Diamond Sponsor of CIGRE Canada 2018, a venue for participants to collaborate to help define the future of the electric power industry.
Territory Generation – remote operations centre (ROC) update
In March 2016 PSC was awarded the role to scope Territory Generation’s Remote Operations Centre (ROC) project in Darwin.
APEx 2018 Conference
PSC’s Dr. Ranil de Silva was a speaker on the panel session – Renewables and Energy Efficiency at this year's conference.
Feiyu Lu celebrates 10 years of Excellent Service at PSC
Feiyu Lu is a Power System and EMS Engineer based in the United States.
Fast Modelling with Real-Time Simulation
While off-line simulation is still widely used in the industry, there is a growing recognition that very long simulation run times tend to make good engineering analysis very difficult.
Overview of new system strength requirements in Australia’s National Electricity Market
Electricity System strength, traditionally provided by large rotating machines such as thermal and hydro generation units, helps the grid remain stable following a fault.
Simon Lister celebrates 20 years of Excellent Service with PSC
PSC congratulates Simon Lister who has achieved a significant milestone in completing 20 years of excellent service with PSC.
PSC opens new Christchurch Office in New Zealand
The office will house PSC’s group of electrical and operational technology engineers in Christchurch and the Genassure team.
PSC welcomes Roger Riley
PSC is pleased to welcome Roger Riley as General Manager, Power Networks for Australia and New Zealand.
PSC supports commissioning of world’s first VSC Bipole HVDC link
HVDC’s ability to send large amounts of electricity over long distances with low electrical losses has historically made it a technology of choice for long-distance bulk power transmission.
Back to the future for Tony Armstrong
Many of the PSC clients are asking what Tony is up to since the management buyout and the recent governance changes. Tony explains this as being like ‘back to the future’.
PSC welcomes Roger Bedell
PSC is pleased to welcome Roger Bedell as a Senior Consultant to PSC North America based in Kirkland, Washington.
CIGRÉ 2018 – from PV Arrays to … ‘Parlez vous Français’?
As a leading provider of solutions and support for the electricity industry, PSC will be represented by several key staff at CIGRÉ 2018.
PSC at the 2018 ENA Conference in Australia
PSC was pleased to be an exhibitor at the 2018 ENA Conference and had a team available to discuss the changes and transformation of the electricity industry.
DER Advice to Regulators in California and Minnesota
Distributed Energy Resources (DER) including rooftop PV, batteries, and electric vehicles, are changing the way that distribution networks operate.
Keith Fisk celebrates 20 years of Excellent Service
PSC congratulates Keith Fisk who achieved a significant milestone in completing 20 years of excellent service with the company.
Power System Dynamics in Distribution Systems
Historically, in large electricity grids, generation is rarely found within the distribution system, but is rather connected remotely via a high voltage transmission network.
PSC welcomes back Stephen Butler
PSC is pleased to welcome back Stephen who has re-joined PSC in New Zealand.
PSC welcomes back Naresh Kumar
PSC is pleased to welcome back Naresh who has re-joined PSC in New Zealand.
Mark Gilchrist celebrates 20 years of Excellent Service with PSC
From China, Norway, Finland and Wales through to Zambia and the Congo, Mark has been heavily involved in the commissioning of many projects.
Idaho Power follows best practices for root cause analysis
Idaho Power is an electric utility engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution, sale and purchase of electric energy in the United States of America.
Automatic Generation Control – is it time for a tune up?
Automatic Generation Control (AGC), on an Energy Management System (EMS), is critical for responding to frequency deviations on the system network.
PSC expansion in Asia
PSC is pleased to announce that Dr Keehan Chan has been appointed as the General Manager of PSC Asia and will be responsible for our business operation in the Asia region.
Martin and Kim at the Commonwealth Games in Australia
The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games were held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, during April 2018. PSC’s Martin Stacey and his wife Kim were both volunteers for the games.
Electricity Distribution Networks – PSC Focus
It is obvious that the electricity industry is changing at a fast pace.
PSC welcomes Rob Fairchild
PSC North America is pleased to welcome Rob Fairchild to our team of expert consultants.
Detailed Testing, Modelling and Compliance in the Snowy River Mountains
Snowy Hydro is a dynamic energy company supplying electricity to more than one million homes and businesses. Since the days of their pioneering past, Snowy Hydro has grown into the fourth largest player in the Australian energy market.
Kevin Hart celebrates 10 years of Excellent Service at PSC
Kevin Hart is a SCADA Engineer in our Adelaide SCADA team for the ElectraNet SCADA support contract that includes SCADA development, database and display maintenance, systems administration, on-call response and support for specific applications.
PSC welcomes Sandi LiSanti
PSC Group is pleased to announce Sandi LiSanti to the position of Chief Financial Officer.
Connecting at DistribuTECH 2018
Utilities, power companies, and technology vendors flock to DistribuTECH for its reputation as a leading venue for showcasing the major technologies and trends in the electricity industry.
Tanya Edgar celebrates 10 years of Excellent Service with PSC
Tanya Edgar is a Software Developer and Database Administrator with extensive experience in the development and support of applications and databases used in the electricity industry.
2017 PSC Scholarship Recipient
Congratulations goes to 2017 PSC Scholarship recipient Thomas Galbraith, selected from a field of high calibre candidates with his excellent academic performance and a strong focus on practical experience.
PSC welcomes Shane Kerr
PSC is pleased to welcome Shane Kerr as the Electrical Engineering Manager for Australia, within the Asia Pacific Power Networks team.
Edward Hall celebrates 20 years of Excellent Service with PSC
Edward initially joined PSC as a Project Manager & Consultant, and has had several roles including Operations Manager and IT, Quality & Safety Manager.
PSC Sponsors Electric Bicycle Competition
It has been a busy few months for a team of students at Scots College in Wellington New Zealand as they build an electric bicycle for the Evolocity electric vehicle school competition.
ISO9001 Quality Audits in PSC Australia and New Zealand
The audit results show PSC’s continued commitment to the improvement of its quality management system and service to PSC’s clients.
Generator Testing and Modelling in Malaysia
PSC and Genassure were onsite at the Murum HEP Power Station to test two of the generator units and tune one of the governors.
CIGRÉ Australia D2 Panel
The panel meeting was chaired by Victor Tan, the Convener of the panel, and PSC’s Principal Network and Security Consultant.
Power System Stabilizer Design
Utilities need to tune new and existing Power System Stabilizers (PSS) to ensure stability of their power systems as network topologies evolve and new system stresses emerge.
Our Next Evolutionary Step
Recently, the founders and existing shareholders of PSC completed a management and staff buyout that consolidates all of PSC’s operations as a single, global entity.
PSC and Harmonic Launch New Service Offering
Recognising the rapid change affecting the electricity sector and the approaching ‘data tsunami’, PSC and Harmonic will work together to solve complex industry challenges through advanced analytics.
PSC Joins a NZ Government Delegation to the USA
PSC Group Chairman and Co-Founder Tony Armstrong visited San Francisco as part of the New Zealand government delegation.
UK Future Power System Architecture Project
PSC participated in this project on a volunteer basis and was able to contribute two key points into the project.
PSC Assists Power & Water Corporation
PSC assisted Power and Water Corporation with two distribution substation projects, a new 66/22kV zone substation at Strangways and a project to build an indoor 22kV substation to replace outdoor 22kV switchgear at the Tennant Creek substation.
PSC Achieves Achilles Certification
PSC have been registered in the Achilles Utilities sector which supports over 200 large buying organisations and 32,000 suppliers across 6 different communities.
HVDC Specialist Talent
We recognise that the technology is constantly evolving but with a pool of specialist talent, the PSC team has the edge.
An Emerging Leader in Market Systems Support
PSC’s reputation for excellence has been forged by providing specialist support services to some of the largest system and/or market operators within the Asia-Pacific region and North America, as illustrated in the map.
Our Far South Adventure
With a keen interest in sustainability and renewable energy, Tony embarked on this voyage to enhance his knowledge of environmental issues.
Solar Car Powers up to Meet the Challenge
This industry is an increasingly strategic one with current growth projections showing that, by 2050, there will be over two billion cars on the roads of the world.
PSC Explores Renewables
Changing patterns of generation and energy demand are being fuelled by the emergence of new distributed energy resources and technological innovations.